Which of the following describes natural selection?

Natural selection is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology that explains how certain traits become more prevalent in a population over time. This process occurs when individuals with advantageous traits—those that confer better survival or reproductive success in a given environment—are more likely to survive and reproduce. As a result, the traits that help these organisms succeed are passed on to subsequent generations, leading to an increase in the frequency of those traits within the population.

For instance, if a particular coloration in a species provides better camouflage from predators, individuals with that coloration may be more likely to survive and reproduce. Over time, the population will show a higher occurrence of that coloration.

This concept underscores the idea that natural selection is not a random process; it is driven by the demands of the environment and the specific traits that can provide an advantage. It contrasts with other options, which either misrepresent the role of natural selection or describe unrelated concepts, such as random mating or artificial selection strategies.